Dusaulx - Passion du Jeu - 1779

DUSAULX (Jean). From the passion for gambling, from ancient times to our days. Paris, L'Imprimerie de Monsieur, 1779. Two parts in one volume in-8 (20 cm) of XXXVII-267pp, 335 pp., engraved title vignette, headbands and tailpieces. ORIGINAL EDITION dedicated to the brother of Louis XVI, the future Louis XVIII, printed at the address of L'Imprimerie de Monsieur, title adorned with royal arms engraved on wood. Work in two parts in which the author analyzes the long history of the passion for gambling, its origins, its impact on society and the economic and social trends that shaped its development. Jean Dusaulx (1728-1799), member of the Académie française, offers a reflection blending erudition, morality and social critique. Provenance: ex-libris of bookseller Nyon on the pastedown. BINDING: Full havana morocco, marbled and polished, of good quality. Spine with raised cords ornamented with gilded compartments and fleurons; title label in red morocco. Golden fillets on the boards. Gilded edges. CONDITION: one corner dulled, restoration at the bottom of the lower joint, otherwise binding in very good condition. Rare foxing, slight damp-staining at the beginning. Pleasant contemporary copy, interior clean and fresh.

VIZIO O PROFESSIONE? IL GIOCO COME SISTEMA DI VITA NELL’ANCIEN RÉGIME
First edition of a work as elegant as it is corrosive, in which Jean Dusaulx analyzes gambling as a historical, social and economic phenomenon. The volume, dedicated to the brother of Louis XVI (the future Louis XVIII), is set in the late Enlightenment climate, when vice is no longer merely a moral matter but an object of rational investigation. Between classical erudition and contemporary observation, Dusaulx constructs a genealogy of gambling as a universal human impulse, revealing its deep link with risk, power and the instability of fortunes.

MARKET VALUE
Indicative range: 1,200 – 2,000 euros
Copies in contemporaneous bindings well preserved, like the present, can reach 2,500 euros, especially with interesting provenance.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION
Two parts in one volume: XXXVII, 267 pp.; 335 pp. Frontispiece with engraved vignette, presence of headbands and tailpieces.
Contemporary binding in full avana vellum leather, marbled and glossy; spine with raised cords ornamented with gilded friezes and compartments; title piece in red morocco; gilded edges to the boards; sprinkled edges, signs of wear.
Binding very well preserved. Interior fresh, with rare foxing.
In old books, with a long history, there may be some imperfections, not always noted in the description.

FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
De la Passion du Jeu, depuis les temps anciens jusqu'à nos jours.
Paris, L’Imprimerie de Monsieur, 1779.
Dusaulx, Jean.

CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
Emblematic work of the late French Enlightenment, Dusaulx's treatise tackles gambling as a total historical phenomenon, spanning classical antiquity to the contemporary Ancien Régime society. It is not a simple moral pamphlet, but a true proto-sociological analysis: gambling emerges as a device that reflects economic structures, social tensions and collective illusions.
The dedication to the future Louis XVIII and the printing at L'Imprimerie de Monsieur place the work in an aristocratic and political context, where gambling is at once a widespread practice among the elite and an object of moral and financial concern. The text anticipates modern reflections on risk, speculation and addiction, making it surprisingly timely.

BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
Jean Dusaulx (1728–1799) was a man of letters and a member of the Académie française. A typical figure of the Enlightenment intellectual, he united erudite interests and moral commitment, dedicating himself to works of historical, philosophical and social character. His writing reflects the tension between rationality and critique of customs, with particular attention to collective behaviors and their ethical implications.

PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
Original edition of 1779, printed in Paris at L’Imprimerie de Monsieur, workshop tied to the Count of Provence (the future Louis XVIII). The work achieved a discreet circulation among educated and aristocratic circles, but did not enjoy widespread popular diffusion, contributing to the relative rarity of well-preserved copies today on the market.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
BnF (Bibliothèque nationale de France), catalogue général, notice Dusaulx, 1779
WorldCat, bibliographic record De la passion du jeu
ICCU / OPAC SBN, copies catalogued in Italian libraries (specific verification recommended)
Darnton, Robert, The Literary Underground of the Old Regime, pp. 95–120
Chartier, Roger, Les origines culturelles de la Révolution française, pp. 210–240
Huizinga, Johan, Homo Ludens, passim (for the theoretical context on play)
Caillois, Roger, Les jeux et les hommes, pp. 9–45